Apparatus for filling or partly filling containers



Dec. 28, 1954 R. TROTTER APPARATUS FOR FILLING OR PARTLY FILLING CONTAINERS Filed June 11, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l \NVENTOR. ROBERT LAWSON TROTTER BY .1 HlS ATToRE Dec. 28, 1954 R. TROTTER 2,698,123

APPARATUS FOR FILLING OR PARTLY FILLING CONTAINERS Filed June 11,- 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ROBERT LAWSON TROTTER Dec. 28, 1954 R. TROTTER 2,698,123

APPARATUS FOR FILLING OR PARTLY FILLING CONTAINERS Filed June 11, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheets F IG.3.

ql zlllllll- United States Patent APPARATUS FOR FILLING OR PARTLY FILLING CONTAINERS Robert Lawson Trotter, Southall, England, assignor to Lever Brothers & Unilever Limited, Port Sunlight, England, a company of Great Britain Application June 11, 1949, Serial No. 98,466

Claims priority, application Great Britain June 11, 1948 12 Claims. (Cl. 226-98) The invention relates to apparatus for filling, or partly' filling, containers such as glass ars, tins and the like, with a liquid, particularly a viscous liquid, or a paste (for example edible fish or meat pastes or a cosmetic cream). It is an object of theinvention to provide an improved apparatus 'for this purpose which may be employed to a continuous succession of containers and which avoids the production of air bubbles in the liquid or paste in the contamers.

The machine for filling or partly filling'each of a succession of containers with a liquid or a paste according to the invention comprises a stationary supply plate having at two spaced stations (referred to as the suction and filling stations) in one face ports at which suction and a supply of the liquid or paste are available respectively, a movable valve plate in face-to-face contact with the supply plate and making a substantially fluid-tight seal therewith around and between the ports, the valve plate having a succession of throughways one end of each of which on movementof the valve platesuccessively travels past the ports at the suction and filling stations,'means for effecting continuous movement of the valve plate and means for securing one of thecontainers to be filled in fluid-tight engagement with the valve plate around the other end of each throughway at, or as it approaches, the suction station and for maintaining the fluid-tight eng'agementas the container travels to the filling station, whereby as the throughway travels past the port at the suction 'station the container is evacuated and is maintained evacuated until it reaches the fillingstation where it is filled or partly filled with the liquid or paste admitted through the moving throughway.

Preferably the ports in the supply plate are elongated in the direction of movement'of the-valve plate and the throughways in'the valve plateare short -in comparison with these elongated ports.

In the preferred form of the machine the supply plate hassecondary suction and filling ports and the movement of the valve plate with the containers secured thereto aroundthe throughways is continued to cause each container successively to travel past the secondary suction and filling ports whereby the container is subjected to a second evacuation and filling. In order to avoid liquid or paste remaining in the throughway being drawn into the suction system at the secondary suction station the valve plate preferably has auxiliary throughways adjacent to the main throughways and arranged to effect the connection between the secondary suction supply and the containers.

In one construction of the machine the movement of the valve plate is one of rotation and the cycle of movements to the several stations followed by each throughway is continuously repeated with a fresh container at each repetition. The supply plate may also have a station at a position which is reached by each throughway after it has left the secondary filling station and before it reaches the first suction station and at which compressed air is blown into the throughway during its passage past said position to remove any liquid or pasterernaining therein after the last filling operation. Preferably, the remaining liquid or paste is blown into the container about to be filled through the throughway.

The supply plate may also have a pressure relief port past which each throughway travels after it'has left the secondary filling station and which is open to atmospheric pressure. There may also be a suction station in the 2,698,123 Patented Dec. 28, 1954 supply plate between the secondary filling and compressed air stations where suction is applied to each throughway 1n turn to remove residual liquid or paste.

A specific machine according to the invention and the method of operating the machine will now be described by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine partly broken away;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the supply plate,

Figure 5 is an under-plan of the supply plate, and

Figure 6 is a detailed view on an enlarged scale of one of the throughways for the valve plate.

The machine forming the subject of this example is suitable for filling glass jars with viscous fluids or pastelike substances such as fish or meat paste. The machine comprises a vertical shaft 1 supported forrotation in a suitable frame and carrying two vertically separated plates 2, 3 for rotation withthe shaft. The upper of these two plates is later referred to as the valve plate and has eight holes 4 constituting throughways extending from one'face of the plate to the other and equally spaced around a circle concentric with the axis of rotation of the shaft. The other plate 3 carries eight two-part plungers 5 in alignment with the above mentioned throughways. These plungers are guided for vertical movement in support bearings 6 in the plate and are movable upwardly from 'a position (shown at the left of Figure 3) in which the upper surfaces of the plungers are flush with the upper surface of the plate 3 to the position shown at the right of Figure 3. The plungers are divided longitudinally into-the two parts 7 and8, with a spring 9 between them'for the purpose of providing a resilient pressure on the jars, as later described. Below the plunger plate there is a fixed cam plate 10 having a circular cam' ring 11 which co-operates with split-roller followers 12 on the under-side of the plungers to effect the upward movement thereof.

Above the valve plate 2 and in face-to-face fluid-tight contact therewith there is a supply plate 15 which is fixed against rotation and is held in contact with the valve plate. The supply plate has on its under-face a series of elongated ports (see especially Figures 4 and 5) on the pitchcircle of the aforesaid throughways, the ports being spaced around the circle. These ports are connected by suitable pipe-line connections to the top of the plate in the following way:

The first port 20 is connected to a supply of compressed air, the next port 21 is connected to a source of suction and is of substantial circumferential length to ensurethat as a throughway in the valve plate moves under'the port itwill be opened to the suction for sufiicient time to evacuate a jar open to the throughway. The third port 22 is connected to a source of supply. of the paste which is pumped to the port underv pressure. This port also is of substantial circumferential length but less than that of the suction port. The next port 23 on the circle is also connected to the paste supply and constitutes the secondary filling station. After the second filling port there is a pressure relief port 24 open on its upper side to.the atmosphere and finally there is a further port 25 connected to the suction supply. Between the two filling ports 22, 23 which are connected to the paste supply there is a further port 26 connected to the suction supply at a positionwhich is outside the pitch circle of the remaining ports. The port 26 constitutes the secondary suction port and is arranged to register with auxiliary throughways 27 in the valve plate 2 adjacent to but radially separated from the main throughways.

The machine includes a belt or chainconveyor indicated at 30 arranged to deliver a continuous supply stream of empty jars to the machine. This conveyor is level with the plunger plate 3 and feeds the empty jars to a timing of the arrival of the jars with the arrival of the plungers at the position 34. A locating of guide plate 37 is associated with each of the plungers and is supported on the plunger plate for rotation therewith. The guide plates are pivoted to the plunger plate as shown at 38 for rotation about horizontal axes on the inner side of the plungers and each plate has a V-shaped notch 39 which engages the jar 40 and centres it on its plunger. A gate controlling the feeding of the jars is provided at the end of the conveyor and consists of a finger 41 reciprocated horizontally in front of the jars by means of a lever 42 oscillated by a follower 43 co-operating with a star-wheel 44 on the driving draft shaft of the disc. The finger is arranged for withdrawal from the path of the jars in timed relationship with the arrival of a tooth of the disc to remove the first jar. The finger then returns to prevent feeding by the conveyor of the next jar.

A toothed disc 50, guides 51 and a conveyor, similar to those used for delivering the jars are provided for removing the filled jars.

The filled jars are carried by the conveyor past a station where paper discs are inserted on top of the paste to a machine for capping the jars constructed and arranged as described in our co-pending United States patent application Serial No. 98,467, filed June 11, 1949, now U. S. Patent No. 2,673,018.

The paste supply is from a hopper not shown from which it is pumped to the supply ports. A valve also not shown is provided immediately before each supply port 7 and is ad ustable to vary the flow of paste to suit a particular size of jar. The pump is provided with a spring-loaded bypass.

The method of operation of the machine is as follows! The jars 40 are carried by the feed conveyor 30 to the gate 41 and are passed by the gate one-bv-one to the feed disc 31 which carries the jars over the plunger table 3 and locates them over successive plungers on the continuouslv rotating table. the jars being centred by the V-notches 39 in the guide plates 37 on the table and carried by them in conjunction with the supporting plun ers away from the feed disc. Each iar as it is rotated with the lun er table is carried through the following cycle. As the jar leaves the feed disc the throuchwav 4 in the valve late appropri ted to that ar passes under the compressed air port in the supply plate and a short blast of air blows any paste remainin in the thr u hway or in the auxiliarv throu hway into the jar. The plun er sup orting the iar is then raised b the cam ring 11 and resiliently pushes the iar into fluid-tight contact with a resilient pad 52 on the under-side of the valve plate. the p d having main and auxiliarv throtwhwavs re ist ring with the throu hwavs 4 and 27 in the plate itself. The i r then moves to the first suction station where the main throu hway re isters with the suction sunolv port 21 in the suoolv plate. This evacllates t e air fr m he jar and the length of the p rt in he snnnlv plate is sufficient to rovide time for effective evacuati n to take nlace. mrnediatelv after the ll'lIOHohwav leaves the sucti n port it comes into re istration with the first paste snnnlv p rt 22 in the supply plate and pas e is ferl under pressure into the t. the amount bein Sl mcient ne r-1v. b t nnt uni e t fi l the. jar, The. iar moves to the next sucti n station 26 where suction is applied throu h the auxiliarv throu hwavs 27 to evacuate the space remainin in the jar after which the jar, still in fluidti ht contact with the aforesaid disc, moves to the second filling station 23 where a further supply of paste is forced into a jar and completely fills it. After leaving the second filling station the jar passes to the pressure relief station 24 at which the throughway communicates with the port in the supply plate open to the atmosphere. At this position in the cycle the height of the cam ring 11 decreases to relieve the pressure by the plunger on the jar without lowering the jar from its contact with the resilient pad. The jar is finally removed by the removing disc 50 with a Wiping action against the resilient pad 52 on the valve plate which assists in smoothing off the top of the paste. The filled jar is then taken by the conveyor to the capping machine. The plunger is then lowered to the level of the table and the throughway in the valve plate is carried past a suction station to remove paste in the throughway and then proceeds to the initial position at which a further jar is presented under the throughway for a second cycle. Any paste removed by the suction system is collected in a trap provided in the system between the machine and the suction pump.

It is to be understood that it is an important feature of the invention that the containers are first evacuated and then transferred to a separate station at which the filling of the containers is effected, the filling being assisted by the reduced pressure in the container previously produced. It is, however, within the invention to employ a small degree of overlap between the application of the suction and supply of the liquid or paste so that to a minor extent the paste is drawn into the container by continued application of the suction.

It is also within the invention to subject the paste to a preliminary pressure reduction to remove occluded air. For this purpose the paste may be fed in the form of a narrow ribbon into a chamber kept under reduced air pressure.

I claim:

1. A machine for filling or partly filling containers with a viscous fluid so as to avoid the production of bubbles therein, and comprising a supply plate having spacedapart suction and filling port means therein, a source of suction connected to the suction port for evacuating a succession of containers, single source means for supplying a viscous fluid under pressure permanently connected to the supply port to maintain the supply port under positive pressure from the source means and to supply viscous fluid after injection under pressure into a succession of evacuated containers, a valve plate in face-to-face contact with said supply plate and making a substantially fluidtight seal therewith around and between the port means, means for effecting relative movement between the valve plate and the supply plate, the valve plate having a succession of throughways, one end of each of which is successively exposed to the suction and filling ports upon relative movement between said plates and the other end of each of Which is adapted to be placed in direct communication with a container thereby to establish successively direct communication between the source of suction and the container and between the source of supply of viscous fluid under pressure and the container, and means for securing successive containers to be filled in fluid-tight engagement with the valve plate around the other end of successive throughways at the time the suction port and the throughway are in register and for maintaining the fluid-tight engagement as the containers are successively subsequently exposed to the filling port, the arrangement being such that as the throughways are successively exposed to the suction port the containers are evacuated and are maintained evacuated until they are exposed to the filling port at which time they are filled or partly filled with the viscous fluid admitted through the throughways from the source of supply of viscous fluid under pressure.

2. A machine for filling each of a succession of containers with a viscous fluid so as to avoid the production of bubbles therein and comprising a stationary supply plate; a main source of suction and a main supply of viscous fluid available at main ports at two spaced stations in said supply plate; a secondary source of suction and a secondary supply of viscous fluid available respectively at secondary ports at tWo spaced secondary stations in said supply plate; a rotatable valve plate in face-to-face contact with said supply plate and making a substantially fluid-tight seal therewith around and between the ports,

the valve plate having a succession of main throughways one end of each of which on rotation of the valve plate successively travels past the main ports at the main suction and filling stations then past the secondary port at said secondary supply station and a succession of secondary throughways, adjacent said main throughways one end of each of which secondary throughways on movement of the valve plate successively travels past the secondary port at the secondary suction station; means for effecting continuous rotation of the valve plate; and means for securing one of the containers to be filled in fluid-tight engagement with the valve plate around the other end of each main and secondary throughway as the container approaches the main suction. station and for maintaining fluid-tight engagement as the container travels to the filling stations; the arrangement being such that when a main throughway travels past the port at the main suction station the container is evacuated and is maintained evacuated until it reaches the main filling station Where it is partly filled with viscous fluid admitted through the moving main throughway and that when a secondary throughway travels past the port at the secondary suction station the partly filled container is evacuated and is maintained evacuated until it reaches Lie secondary filling station whereit is completely filled with viscous fluid admitted through the moving main throughway.

3. A machine for filling each of a succession of containers with a viscous fluid so as to avoid the production of bubbles therein and comprising a stationary supply plate; a main source of suction and a main supply of viscous fluid available at main ports at two spaced stations in said supply plate; a secondary source of suction and a secondary supply of viscous fluid available respectively at secondary ports at two spaced secondary stations in said supply plate; a source of compressed air available at a compressed air station between the secondary filling station and the main suction station in said supply plate; a rotatable valve plate in face-to-face contact with said supply plate and making a substantially fluid-tight seal therewith around and between the ports, the valve plate having a succession of mainthroughways one end of each of which on rotation of the valve plate successively travels past the main ports at the main suction and filling stations and the secondary port at said secondary filling station and a succession of secondary throughways adjacent said main throughways; one end of each of which secondary throughways on rotation of the valve plate successively travels past the secondary port at the secondary suction station; means for effecting continuous rotation of the valve plate; and means for securing one of the containers to be charged in fluid-tight engagement with the valve plate'around the other end of each main and secondary throughway as the container approaches the main suction station and for maintaining the fluid-tight engagement as the container I travels to the filling stations; the arrangement being such that when a main throughway travels past the portthe main suction station the container is evacuated'and is maintained evacuated until it reaches the main filling station where itislpartly filled with viscous fluid admitted through the moving :main throughway, that when a secondary throughway travels past the port at the secondary suction station the vpartly filled container is evacuated and is maintained evacuated until it reaches the secondary filling station where it is completely filled with viscous fluid admitted through the moving main throughway, and that when said main and secondary throughways travel past the compressed air station, compressed air is blown into these throughways to remove any viscous fluid remaining therein after the last filling operation.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 3, in which means are provided for locating'the container about to be filled directly beneath said compressed airstation so that the remaining viscous fluidis blown into the said container through the moving throughwaysi 5. A machine for filling each of a succession of'coni tainers with a viscous fluid so as to avoid the production of bubbles therein and comprising a stationary supply plate having a pressure relief port open to atmosphere; a main source of suction and a main supply of viscous fluid available at main ports at two spaced stations in said supply plate; a secondary source of suction and a secondary supply of viscous fluid available respectively at secondary ports at two spaced secondary stations in said supply plate; a source of compressed air available at a compressed air station between the secondary filling and the main suction stations in said supply plate, said pressure relief port being located in said supply plate between said secondary supply station and the compressed air station; a rotatable valve plate in face-to-face contact with said. supply plate and making a substantially fluid-tight seal therewith around and between the ports, the valve plate having a succession of main throughways one end of each of which on rotation of the valve plate successively travels past the main ports at the main suction and filling stations and the secondary port at said secondary filling station and a succession of secondary throughways adjacent said main throughways, one end of each of which secondary throughways on rotation of the valve plate successively travels past the secondary port at the secondary suction station; means for effecting continuous rotationof the valve plate; and means for securing one of the containers to be charged in fluid-tight engagement with the valve plate around the other end of each main and secondary throughway as the container approaches the main suction station and for maintaining the fluid-tight engagement as the container travels to-the filling-stations; the arrangement being such that when a main throughway travels past the main suction station the container is evacuated and is maintained evacuated until it reaches the main filling station where it is partly filled with viscous fluid admitted through the moving main throughway, that when a secondary throughway travels past the port at the suction station the partly filled container is evacuated and is maintained evacuated until it reaches the secondary filling station where it is completely filled with viscous fluid admitted through the moving main throughway, that when said main throughway travels past the pressure relief port the container is opened to atmospheric pressure, and that when said main and secondary throughways travel past the compressed air station compressed air is blown into these throughways to remove any viscous fluid remaining therein after the last filling operation.

6. A machine for filling each of a succession of containers with a viscous fluid so as to avoid the production of bubbles therein and comprising a stationary supply plate having a pressure relief port open to atmosphere; a main source of suction and a main supply of viscous fluid available at main ports at two spaced stations in said supply plate; a secondary source of suction and a secondary supply of viscous fluid available respectively at secondary ports at two spaced secondary stations in said supply vplate; a source of compressed air available at compressed air'station between the secondary filling station and the main-suction station in said supply plate, said pressure relief port being located between said secondary supply station and the compressed air station; a further source of suction at a further suction station between the pressure relief port and the'compressed air station in said supply plate; a rotatable valve plate in face-to-face contact with said supply plate and making a substantially fluidtight seal therewith around and between the ports, the valve plate having a succession 'of main throughways one end of each of which on rotation of the valve plate successively travels past the-main ports at the main suction and filling stations and the secondary port at said secondary filling station and a succession of secondary throughways adjacent said main throughways one end of each of which secondary throughways on rotation of-the valve plate travels past the secondary port at the secondary suction station; means for effecting continuous rotation of the valve plate; and means for securing one of the containers to be charged in fluid-tight engagement with the valve plate around and in'communication with the other end of each throughway as the container approaches the main suction'station and for maintaining the fluid-tight engagement as the container travels to the filling stations; the arrangement being such that when a main throughway travels past the port at the main suction station the container is evacuated and is maintained evacuated until it reaches the main filling station where it is partly filled with viscous flui'd admitted through the moving main throughway, that when a secondary throughway travels past the port at the secondary suction station the partly filled container is evacuated and is maintained evacuated until it reaches the secondary filling station where it is completely filled with viscousfiuid admitted through the moving main throughw'ay, that when said main throughway travels past the pressure relief port the container is opened to atmosphere pressure, that when the main throughway travels past the further suction station suction is applied thereto to remove residual viscous fluid and that when the main and secondary throughways travel past the compressed air station compressed air is blown into the moving throughways to remove any viscous fluid still remaining in these throughways.

7. A machine for filling or partly filling each of a sucsession of containers'with a viscous fluid so as to avoid the production of bubbles therein and comprising a stationary supply plateyspaced-ap'art suction and supply ports in the supply plate which comprise two spaced stations; a source of suction connected to the suction port for evacuating a succession of containers; a single source of supply of viscous fluid under pressure permanently connected to the supply port to maintain the supply port under positive pressure fromthe source and to supply viscous fluid for injection under pressure into a succession of evacuated containers; a movable valve plate in face-to-face contact with said supply plate and making a substantially fluidtight seal therewith around and between the ports, the valve plate having a succession of throughways one end of each of which on movement of the valve plate successively travels past the ports at the suction and filling stations and the other end of each of which is adapted to be placed in direct communication with a container thereby to establish successively direct communication between the source of suction and the container and between the source of supply of viscous fluid under pressure and the container; means for effecting continuous movement of the valve plate; cam operated plunger means arranged to engage successive containers and to apply pressure to the containers to hold their mouths under pressure against the valve plate respectively in register with the throughways; the arrangement being such that when each of the succession of throughways travel past the port at the suction station the containers are successively evacuated and are successively maintained evacuated until they reach the filling station where they are successively filled or partly filled with the viscous fluid admitted through the moving throughway from the source of supply of viscous fluid under pressure.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 7 in which the valve plate has a resilient pad around each throughway to make a fluid-tight seal with the mouth of a container.

9. A machine for filling or partly filling each of a succession of containers with a viscous fluid so as to avoid the production of bubbles therein and comprising a stationary supply plate; a source of suction and a single source of supply of viscous fluid under pressure available respectively at ports at two spaced stations in said supply plate; a movable valve plate in face-to-face contact with said supply plate and making a substantially fluid-tight seal therewith around and between the ports, the valve plate having a succession of throughways one end of each of which on movement of the valve plate successively travels past the ports at the suction and filling stations and the other end of each of which is adapted to be placed in direct communication with a container thereby to establish successively direct communication between the source of suction and the container and between the source of supply of viscous fluid under pressure and the container; means for effecting continuous movement of the valve plate; a plunger arranged to engage the container and to apply pressure to the container to hold its mouth under pressure against the valve plate; means for removing the container from engagement with the valve plate by a movement of the container across the face of the plate to shear the viscous fluid in the container from that remaining in the throughway; and a cam operating said plunger and arranged to cause the plunger to continue to hold the container in engagement with the plate under reduced pressure during the removal of the container from the valve plate so that the container is removed with a wiping action against the plate; the arrangement being such that When a throughway travels past the port at the suction station the container is evacuated and is maintained evacuated until it reaches the filling station where it is filled or partly filled with the viscous fluid admitted through the moving throughway from the source of supply of viscous fluid under pressure.

10. A machine for filling or partly filling each of a succession of containers with a viscous fluid so as to avoid the production of bubbles therein and comprising a stationary supply plate; a source of suction and a single source of supply or viscous fluid under pressure available respectively at ports at two spaced stations in said supply plate; a movable valve plate in face-to-face contact with said supply plate and making a substantially fluid-tight seal therewith around and between the ports, the valve plate having a succession of throughways one end of each of which on movement of the valve plate successively travels past the ports at the suction and filling stations and the other end of each of which is adapted to be placed in direct communication with a container thereby to establish successively direct communication between the source of suction and the container and between the source of supply of viscous fluid under pressure and the container; a resilient pad around each throughway to make a fluid tight seal with the mouth of a container; means for effecting continuous movement of the valve plate; a plunger arranged to engage the container and to apply pressure to the container to hold its mouth under the pressure against the resilient pad; means for removing the container from engagement with the resilient pad by a movement of the container across the face of the pad to shear the viscous fluid in the container from that remaining in the throughway; and a cam operating said plunger and arranged to cause the plunger to continue to hold the container in engagement with the pad under reduced pressure during the removal of the container from the pad so that the container is removed with a wiping action against the pad, the arrangement being such that when a throughway travels past the port at the suction station the container is evacuated and is maintained evacuated until it reaches the filling station where it is filled or partly filled with viscous fluid admitted through the moving throughway from the source of supply of viscous fluid under pressure.

11. A machine for filling or partly filling each of a succession of containers with a viscous fluid so as to avoid the production of bubbles therein and comprising a stationary supply plate; spaced-apart suction and supply ports located on a circular arc in said supply plate and which comprise two spaced stations, the said ports being elongated along the length of said arc; a source of suction connected to the suction port for evacuating a succession of containers; a single source of supply of viscous fluid under pressure permanently connected to the supply port to maintain the supply port under positive pressure from the source and to supply viscous fluid for injection under pressure into a succession of evacuated containers; a r0- tatable valve plate in face-to-face contact with said supply plate and making a substantially fluid-tight seal therewith around and between the ports, the valve plate having a succession of throughways, all of which are short in comparison with the elongated ports of supply plate and one end of each of which on rotation of the valve plate travels around said circular arc and successively past the ports at the suction and filling stations and the other end of each of which is adapted to be placed in direct communication with a container thereby to establish successively direct communication between the source of suction and the container and between the source of supply of viscous fluid underpressure and the container; means for eflecting continuous rotation of the valve plate; and means for securing successive containers to be filled in fluid-tight engagement with the valve plate around the other end of each throughway as they successively approach the suction station and for maintaining the fluid-tight engagement as the containers travel to the filling station; the arrangement being such that when successive throughways travel past the port at the suction station the containers are evacuated and maintained evacuated until they reach the filling station where they are successively filled or partly filled with the viscous fluid admitted through the moving throughway from the source of supply of viscous fluid under pressure.

12. A machine for filling each of a succession of containers with a viscous fluid so as to avoid the production of bubbles therein and comprising a stationary supply plate; a main source of suction and a main supply of viscous fluid available at main ports at two spaced stations in said supply plate; a secondary source of suction and a secondary supply of viscous fluid available respectively at secondary ports at two spaced secondary stations in said supply plate; a movable valve plate in face-to-face contact with said supply plate and making a substantially fluidtight seal therewith around and between the ports, the valve plate having a succession of main throughways one end of each of which on movement of the valve plate successively travels past the main ports at the main suction and filling stations and then past the secondary ports at the secondary suction and filling stations; said valve plate also having secondary throughways adjacent to the main throughways for effecting the connection between the secondary suction source and the containers; means for effecting continuous movement of the valve plate; and means for securing one of the containers to be filled in fluid-tight engagement with the valve plate around the other end of each main and secondary throughway as the container approaches the main suction station and for maintaining the fluid-tight engagement as the container travels to the filling stations; the arrangement being such that as the throughway travels past the port at the main suction station the container is evacuated and is maintained evacuated until it reaches the main filling station Where it is partly filled with viscous fluid admitted through the moving throughway and that when the throughway travels past the port at the secondars:1 suction static; the partlg filled contaifier References Cited in the file of this patent is evacuated an is maintaine evacuate until it reac es the secondary filling station where it is completely filled UNITED STATES PATENTS with viscous fluid admitted through the moving through- Number Name Date way. 5 2,070,301 Souther Feb. 9, 1937 2,254,905 Mullan Sept. 2, 1941 2,334,718 Lowry Nov. 23, 1943 2,415,109 Nordquist Feb. 4, 1947 

